Israel: An Apartheid State, Not a Democracy

By George M Karsa

ccun.org, April 14, 2008

In a recent letter to the editor of the Prescottaz.com, Nicholas Donsky castigates columnist Al Herron for not understanding democracy as it applies to Middle East nations and offers readers a news flash: "The Middle East indeed has (only) one true functioning democracy - Israel".

Perhaps Mr. Donsky should have consulted his dictionary on the meaning of democracy before making such outlandish and false statements about "democracy" in Israel.

According to Webster, one of the meanings states: "a state of society characterized by formal equality of rights and privileges; political and social equality".

Now let's examine how the present State of Israel conforms to these ideals.

Israel has a stated policy of ensuring that its population must remain a Jewish majority.

Israel allows anyone who is Jewish to "return" to Israel even if they have never been in Israel while denying Palestinians with valid land deeds to return to their home towns, villages and houses.

Non-Jewish Israelis cannot buy or lease land in Israel.

Palestinian license plates are color-coded to distinguish Jews from non-Jews and Palestinians are not allowed to drive on roads designated for Jews only.

Israel allots 85% of the water resources for Jewish settlers and only 15% divided among all Palestinians in the occupied territories.

Palestinian Bedouins, the indigenous inhabitants of the Naqab (Negev) Desert in southern Israel, whose tribal roots go back for thousands of years and are considered "citizens" and pay taxes, are denied all forms of basic services and infrastructure and are unable to build and develop their communities in any way.

How can anyone call such anti-democratic, apartheid, racist practices that include ethnic cleansing of the indigenous non-Jewish people "democratic"!

We must call for an end to U.S. aid and political support to Israel until it becomes a true democracy with completely equal rights for all.

All racism and discrimination based on religion, ethnicity, race or sex must be outlawed and enforced, with no double standards, for true justice and a lasting peace to prevail.